lawrence



(No Mel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1;

B. LAWRENCE.

, LETTER FILE AND BINDER. 7 No. 388,421. Patented Aug. 28, 1888.

(No Model 2 SheetsShe'et, 2.

B. LAWRENCE.

I LETTER FILE AND BINDER. No. 388,421. Patented Aug. 28, .1888.

f *7 W Pay. 4.

Wain/asses fnve/lzzorx v bodying my invention.

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN LAWRENCE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO LOUISA LAWVRENOE, OF SAME PLACE.

LETTER FILE AND BINDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,421, dated August 28, 1888.

Application filed June 5, 1888. Serial No. 276,098. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN LAwRENoE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvementsin Letter Files and Binders, of which the following is a specification.

Myinventiou relates to letter-files and analogous device's,and has forits main objects simplicity of construction and operation, durability, and cheapness of manufacture.

To these main ends my improvements consist in the features of construction and combination of parts, hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming apart thereof; Figure l is a perspective view of a letter or bill file cm- Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with the transfer-wires re moved. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the transfer-wire frame. Fig. 4 is a side view with the transfer-wires serving as a guide. Fig. 5 is a modification of the transfenwire frame.

In the several views the same part will be found designated by the same numeral and letter of reference.

2 represents the usual board or tablet,and 3 3 the puncturing orimpaling wires of tubular form. These wires are preferably attached to a base-plate, 4, which is adapted to be secured to the board by screws 5; but they may be aflixed to the board individually without the intervention of a baseplate.

The transferring device or means is designated by the letter A, and is composed, essentially, of downwardly-projecting legs 6 6 and rearwardly-extending portions 7 7, united by a cross-bar, 8. The whole is made preferably of a single piece of round wire. The leg portions 6 6 are formed or arranged a distance apart equal to the distance between the cen ters of the tubular wires3 3, and are of such a gage or diameter of wire that they may readily be inserted into and removed from said tubular wires. The rearward] y-extending transfer portions 7 7 may be bent at right angles to the leg portions and disposedin straight lines, as shown, or they may be curved or arched instead. The leg portions 6 6 and the extensions 7 7 are connected together and held in parallelism by the crossbar 8. This cross-bar I prefor to so arrange that it will come to astop or bearing on or nearly touch the board or tablet when the legs 6 6 are slipped down into the tubular impaling-wires, and for this purpose I provide the downwardlyextendiug stems or legs a a,which are made integral with the pertions 7 7; but the cross-bar may be located above the board at any point between its top surface and the rear extremities of the transfer-wires 7 7, according to the desire of the manufacturer. In the modification shown at Fig. 5 the crossbar is arranged at the locality last mentioned. The leg portions 6 6 may be of any suitable length. That shown I deem preferable.

In the use of the eontrivanee the transferdevice or frame A is disconnected from the wires.

3 3, and the legs 6 6 preferably inserted into holes or sockets 9 9 in the base or board, thus forming a rest for the frame, and at the same time using the legs 6 6 for a guide for the edges of the sheets to be impaled.

While the parts are in the condition shown at Fig. 4 the letters or other papers to be filed, if not previously perforated, may be placed over the tops of the wires 3 3, with their up per edges against the legs 6 6, and then impaled upon said wires.

By having the upper edge of each paper filed touch the legs 6 6 all of the papers will be punctured at the same distance from the edge, and the pile will present a neat appearauce,besides being in better condition for binding.

If at any time duringtheuse ofthe file it be desired to remove some letter or paper below the top,thelegs 6 6 may be inserted into the wires 3 3, as shown at Fig. 1, and all the papers above said letter or paper transferred to the frame A, which, for the time being, forms a continuation of the puncturing-wires. The frame may then be removed and put aside and the paper desired lifted from the impaling or receiving wires. Whenever it may be desired to return the transferred papers, the legs 6 Bare again passed into the tubular wires and said papers swung over and down thereupon. The frame may then be removed,the legs put into the holes 9 9 again, and the apparatus thus placed in condition for the filing of additional papers.

By reason of the presence of the cross-bar 8 the transferred papers are prevented from getting detached from .the frame, and the construction or form of the latter is such that while containing papers it may be carelessly thrown aside or carried around without liability of any of the papers slipping off.

I propose to use this filing apparatus also as a binder, providing for that purpose the necessary covers, cases, or boxes.

\Vhile I have shown the frame A as adapted to a duplex file,it will be understood thatitmay be made to work in conjunction with a file having three or more puncturing or receiving wires without departing from the spirit ofmy invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of tubular upright impaling-wircs and a transfer-frame composed of downwardly projecting legs, rearwardlyextending portions, and a cross-connection, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a board or tablet having tubular upright impaling-wires and holes or sockets 9 9 in rear thereof, with a transferfraine composed, essentially, of'the parts 6 6, 7 7, and 8, substantially as set forth.

3. A transferframe for use in connection with receiving-wires, as 3 3, composed of the parts 6 6, 7 7, and S, substantially as set forth.

4. Atransfer-frame for use in connection with receiving-wires, as 3 3, eomposedof the parts 6 6, 7 7, a a, and S, substantially as set forth.

Signed at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, this 31st day of May, A. D. 1888.

BENJAMIN L AXV RENOE.

Vitnesses:

J AS. E. BLYTHE. O. D. GREENE, Jr. 

